Gender differences in ambiguity aversion under different outcome correlation structures

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Andreas Friedl ; Patrick Ring ; Ulrich Schmidt
• 关键词：Ambiguity aversion ; Gender differences ; Risk ; Outcome correlation ; Social comparison
• 刊名：Theory and Decision
• 出版年：2017
• 出版时间：February 2017
• 年：2017
• 卷：82
• 期：2
• 页码：211-219
• 全文大小：
• 刊物类别：Business and Economics
• 刊物主题：Economic Theory/Quantitative Economics/Mathematical Methods; Game Theory, Economics, Social and Behav. Sciences; Operation Research/Decision Theory; Behavioral/Experimental Economics; Statistics for B
• 出版者：Springer US
• ISSN：1573-7187
• 卷排序：82

文摘

This paper studies the impact of different outcome correlation structures on gender differences in ambiguity aversion. We conducted an investment game with two separate treatments. In the uncorrelated treatment, the outcomes of the investment game were determined individually. In the correlated treatment, the outcomes of the investment game were determined collectively within a reference group. From an evolutionary perspective, men should be more concerned about relative outcomes, because their reproductive success mainly depended on their relative standing within society. Women, by contrast, should be more concerned about absolute outcomes, because their reproductive success was mainly linked to their access to resources for themselves and their children. Therefore, we predict that the type of outcome correlation structure has a larger impact on men than on women. In particular, we hypothesize that men are less ambiguity averse under an uncorrelated outcome structure. In this situation, the ambiguous alternative should be more attractive, because it potentially reduces inequality and thereby improves men’s relative standing within society. Women’s choices should not be significantly affected by different outcome correlation structures. Both hypotheses are supported by evidence from laboratory experiments.